17 Months Old

I took this picture the other day because it made me laugh so hard! Samantha decided on her own that she wanted to take Elmo (you will see him squashed behind her) and show him how to use the potty. So, she ambled over to the bathroom with him, staggering under his weight (he's battery-operated, very heavy and awkward to carry) and hoisted him onto her potty. Then, in order to show him how it is done, she took a seat on the potty herself. Too funny ...

Samantha is 17 months old today. The last month has brought with it a lot changes in her. She is growing more and more independent every day (she insists on stabbing her own food with her own fork now and she is adamant about going up and down stairs all by herself). Her temperament has always been very intense, but I have noticed that she is becoming a little more relaxed and with less whiny cries and less tantrums. This is a welcomed stage and I hope that it lasts for a little while ...

She still does not say too many words herself -- her audible vocabulary is pretty much limited to Mama, Da-Da and kitty. But, in contrast, she understands almost anything and is very eager to please. By that, I mean that she minds when I ask her to do something or when I ask her not to do something. She retrieves anything that I ask for ... she even knows where her shoes, her coat and any of her toys are at any given time.

This little girl has stolen my heart and makes me melt everytime I pick her up and give her a little more loving. I truly enjoy watching how much she develops her own personality and can't believe how quickly the time has flown ...